Morinville Council Briefs

At the end of their first year in office, Council’s meeting included a full agenda of items on Oct. 28 likely because this was Council’s last meeting until Nov. 25.

Committee Members Appointed

After accepting Council’s own board and committee appointments on Oct. 28, Council then approved some public appointments to a number of committees.

Paul Hansen was appointed for a 3-year term to the Assessment Review Board, bringing the board to full capacity. Hanson and all members of the board but two, who have taken training, will receive the required training before participating in any hearings.

In addition, Henry Chalifoux was reappointed to the Municipal Planning Commission for his second 2-year term.

Jessy Inkpen was appointed for a 2-year term to the Subdivision Development Appeal Board (SDAB). The reappointment will be Inkpen’s second appointment to the board. Regulations require that a board member may sit no more than three terms.

Finally, the Morinville Public Library Board put forward three members for reappointment. Board Chair Keith Norris, Treasurer Joseph Trapani, and Board Trustee Christopher Trapani were all reappointed to 3-year terms. The reappointments will keep the Library Board at eight members, two short of their full compliment.

Council Updated on Community Grants

Community Services employee Melonie Dziwenka provided Council with an update on how Community Grant dollars were spent in the final intake of 2014.

Council had reduced the annual Community Grant allocation to $20,000 in the 2014 budget, which leaves $14,631 unspent.

Dziwenka said Administration received four inquiries from community groups during the third and final intake for 2014, but only one was deemed to fit the grant terms.

Grant requests were received from the Morinville Festival Society requesting funding for the local Farmers Market, the St. Albert Bereavement Society looking for funding for meetings, and St. Jean Baptiste Church wanting assistance with wheelchair accessibility. Dziwenka said the three applications were directed to other opportunities for funding.

The approved request was made by the Midstream Support Society who asked for $2,500 for their annual Community Christmas Feast, an initiative that was approved because it met the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) criteria. Namely it was a service designed “to assist communities to identify their social needs and develop responses to meet those needs.”

The annual event provides a Christmas dinner and activities to more than 300 low-income Morinville residents and those without family in the community. Plans for that day include pictures with Santa, Christmas crafts, all while celebrating with other community members.

Green Space Given Green Light

After an uneventful public hearing on Oct. 28, Council voted 6-0 in favour of the second and third reading to amend a pair of bylaws that allows for a public park, located on the curve of Grandin Drive, in order to increase its size.

Although construction of Notre Dame Park commenced on the lands with all necessary development approvals in place, Council was presented the amendments to the LUB and area structure plan for first reading on Oct. 14 because the area of the park had increased from the original concept provided in the Grandin Heights Area Structure Plan by approximately 0.44 ha (1.09 ac.).

In the past, the Town districted all Public Park lands as Parks and Open Spaces (POS) District. The request to amend the documents was to provide consistency and to allow Morinville to acquire title to the future Municipal Reserve lands for Notre Dame Park.

Proclamations Were Made

Council voted 6-0 in favour of approving a list of 29 proclamation days and weeks during their Oct. 28 Organizational Meeting. The approval of the calendar of proclamations allows the mayor to sign the necessary proclamation without the need to bring the matter to Council prior to the event.

The following dates were approved:

Rotary Day – February 21
National Volunteer Week – April 12-18
Day of Mourning – April 28
Public Rail Safety Week – April
National Youth Week – April 10-19
Nurses Week – May 6 – 12
EMS Week – May 24-30
Public Works Week – May 17-23
Recreation & Parks Month – June
National Trail Day – June 6
National Health & Fitness Day – June 6
Seniors Week – June 10-16
St. Jean Baptiste Week – June 19-21
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – September
Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month – September
Cerebral Palsy Day – September 3
Alberta Culture Days – September 26-28
Environmental Public Health Week – September
Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October
Library Month – October
Fire Prevention Week – October 4-10
Small Business Week – October
Family Violence Prevention Month – November
Seniors’ Falls Prevention Month – November
Veterans Week – November 4-11
World Diabetes Day – November 14
Restorative Justice – Week November 17-23
National Child Day – November 20
Sports Day – November 30

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